Glucose

Glucose, also sold as dextrose, is a simple sugar that bakers use for mild sweetness and smooth texture.

Glucose: A shallow pile of fine white crystalline dextrose powder.
  • Baking ingredients and additives

Also called: dextrose

Glucose is the simple sugar that is the basic building block of many carbohydrates. The U.S. food standards define dextrose as purified and crystallized D-glucose, and they allow it to be labeled "corn sugar" when it comes from corn.

In baking and confectionery, dextrose is less sweet than ordinary table sugar, so it is used where a gentler sweetness is wanted. It dissolves easily, browns readily in the oven, and helps keep candies, fondants and ice cream smooth by interfering with the growth of large sugar crystals.

It is sold as a white crystalline powder, and glucose syrup is the thick liquid form used in caramel, marshmallow and pulled-sugar work.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. 21 CFR 168.111 - Dextrose monohydrate, Cornell Legal Information Institute (21 CFR 168.111)